Denzel Washington’s 10-year-old action thriller, which makes it into Netflix’s top 10, reminds us of a hard truth

Denzel Washington’s 2014 action thriller The equalizer has been released on Netflix and immediately shot into the top 10, but its new success only underscores a disappointing reality for the franchise. Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua have teamed up for the first time for The equalizer in 2014. The original film grossed $192 million on a budget of just $55 million. was a huge success and received solid reviews for its stylish action and the strong teamwork of Fuqua and Washington. Since then The equalizer The trilogy now available to stream has become even stronger.

As a former Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and U.S. Secret Service Black Ops agent, the role of Robert McCall is a perfect fit for Denzel Washington. McCall can’t just be played by an actor who can handle a gun or throw a punch; he also needs an impressive screen presence. Denzel Washington is now synonymous with the rolealthough it was first a book, then a 1980s TV series, and now a current TV series starring Queen Latifah as a gender-swapped McCall. Washington is the actor synonymous with the franchise, so it’s disappointing that he will likely never return to the role, even though The equalizer enjoys newfound success on Netflix.

The Equalizer is very popular on Netflix (after the success of Equalizer 3)

It is still a popular franchise

Despite the waiting time, The Equalizer 3 was a success both at the box office and with the streaming release on Netflix. Worldwide The third sequel grossed $191 million against a budget of $70 million.made a big profit, so audiences were obviously interested. The film is also “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, with a critics’ score of 76% and an excellent audience score of 94%. It later started trending on Netflix, delighting audiences, some of whom had already seen it in theaters and were just waiting for it to become available on the streaming service. Almost a decade after the first film was released, the trilogy is clearly going strong.

Now the original film has been released on Netflix and is enjoying great popularity among viewers. Netflix’s viewing figures for The equalizer are incredible, and reached number 8 in the streamer’s top 10 with 3.5 million views in the first week of July. That’s doubly impressive considering that the period includes the Fourth of July, when more people are at barbecues and pool parties than sitting at home watching Netflix movies. Equally impressive is that despite the decade-old film’s age, enough people are interested in it to put it in Netflix’s top spots.

The Equalizer on Netflix is ​​a reminder that Equalizer 4 may not happen

Washington has said the Equalizer 3 was his last ride

The success of both the third and the first film, whether at the box office or on streaming, makes it clear how disappointing it is that The Equalizer 4 will probably never happenIf that happens, Denzel Washington will not return for The Equalizer 4; he has already said that. In view of The equalizer Franchise director Antoine Fuqua has said he will not The Equalizer 4 without Washington, it is as good as a confirmation that there will be no fourth film in the franchise, at least not with the Fuqua-Washington couple. They had always talked about The Equalizer 3 last, and it seems they’re sticking with it.

Why Equalizer 4 should exist

It’s great to see Washington back in this role

That said, It would be a real shame if The Equalizer 4 really never come about. It was a great action series for Denzel Washington, who brought his dignity and intensity to the role of Robert McCall in all three films. The equalizer is a consistently solid franchise, partly because Washington and Fuqua are a great team, but also because they don’t just throw out a sequel. Each time, they made sure they had a strong story that they really liked before they decided to make another one.

Apart from the fact that the franchise is consistently entertaining, The Equalizer 4 does not happen, Washington will remain without a franchisePeriod. The equalizer is the only franchise Denzel Washington has ever made; he just hasn’t been involved in sequels. Although he is open to it, for some reason his films have never become franchises, like The equalizer has, even his successful films. At nearly 70 years old, even if Washington gets a franchise opportunity, it most likely won’t have the action as The equalizer out of necessity. Given that, it would be fantastic to see Washington as Robert McCall for one last ride.

The Equalizer (2014)

The Equalizer is an action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former secret agent living a quiet life in Boston. When he encounters a young girl named Teri (played by Chloë Grace Moretz) who is being threatened by violent Russian gangsters, McCall comes out of retirement to use his skills and restore justice. The film reimagines the 1980s television series of the same name.

director

Antoine Fuqua

Release date

24 September 2014

Studio(s)

Lonetree Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Escape Artists, LStar Capital, Mace Neufeld Productions

Authors

Richard Wenk, Richard Lindheim, Michael Sloan

Duration

132 minutes

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